Numbers play a fundamental role in everyday life, whether we are counting, telling the time, expressing dates, or discussing prices. In this blog post, I will provide you with the essentials to master counting, dates, time, and prices. Let's dive into the world of numbers and learn how to navigate Italian with ease!

1. Counting in Italian

The Italian numbering system follows a regular pattern, making it relatively straightforward to learn. Here's a list of cardinal numbers from 0 to 20 to get you started:

Are you wondering how to count tens in Italian? Here's a guide on how to count tens from 20 to 100:

To form the numbers in between, you combine the tens with the numbers from 1 to 9. For example:

Keep in mind that when combining tens with the number 1, the final vowel of the tens (venti, trenta) is dropped for pronunciation purposes.

When counting objects or people, it's important to match the gender and number agreement. For instance, "uno" is used for masculine singular nouns, while "una" is used for feminine singular nouns. Likewise, "due" is used for both masculine and feminine plural nouns.

By understanding this pattern, you can easily count and form numbers in Italian.

2. Expressing Dates

Knowing how to express dates is essential for communicating effectively in Italian. Here's an example of how to express a date:

• "Today is June 18th, 2023" can be translated as: "Oggi è il 18 giugno 2023."

To break it down:

"Oggi" means "today."

"è" is the verb "to be" in the third-person singular form.

"il 18 giugno 2023" means "the 18th of June 2023."

Note that Italians typically use the day-month-year format, with the month name being in lowercase.

Some more examples:

• February 14, 2023 -  Italian: 14 febbraio 2023

• January 1, 2023 -  Italian: 1 gennaio 2023 (primo gennaio 2023)

When referring to dates (but also ranks or sequential items), ordinal numbers are commonly used in Italian. Please familiarize yourself with these numbers:

• 1st - primo

• 2nd - secondo

• 3rd - terzo

• 4th - quarto

• 5th - quinto

• 6th - sesto

• 7th - settimo

• 8th - ottavo

• 9th - nono

• 10th - decimo

To form ordinal numbers in Italian, you generally take the cardinal number (e.g., uno, due, tre) and add the suffix "-mo" for masculine nouns or "-ma" for feminine nouns. For example:

• First day: primo giorno

• Second place: secondo posto

• Third chapter: terzo capitolo

• Fourth edition: quarta edizione

• Fifth element: quinto elemento

• Sixth sense: sesto senso

There are a few irregular forms to be aware of:

• 1st - primo/prima (masculine/feminine)

• 8th - ottavo/ottava (masculine/feminine)

• 9th - nono/nona (masculine/feminine)

• 10th - decimo/decima (masculine/feminine)

It's important to note that ordinal numbers in Italian usually agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. For example:

• First book: primo libro (masculine singular)

• First books: primi libri (masculine plural)

• First chair: prima sedia (feminine singular)

• First chairs: prime sedie (feminine plural)

Remember that ordinal numbers are generally written as one word in Italian, without a period (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd). However, exceptions may occur in specific contexts or formal writing styles.

3. Telling Time

Telling time in Italian involves a combination of numbers and specific phrases. Here are some key terms to know:

• Ora: Hour

• Minuto: Minute

• Mezzogiorno: Midday

• Mezzanotte: Midnight

• In punto: Sharp/On the dot

To express time, use the following pattern:

Hour + Minutes + Phrase

Some examples:

• 7:30 AM: "Le sette e trenta di mattina"

• 3:45 PM: "Le quindici e quarantacinque del pomeriggio"

• 9:00 PM: "Le nove di sera"

"It's 3:30 PM" can be translated as: "Sono le 3 e mezza del pomeriggio."

Breaking it down:

"Sono le" is a common phrase used to indicate the time.

"3" represents the hour (in this case, three).

"e mezza" means "and a half" (indicating 30 minutes past the hour).

"del pomeriggio" refers to "in the afternoon."

Note that Italians commonly use a 24-hour clock format in formal situations, while the 12-hour clock format is often used in informal settings.

4. Expressing Prices

When it comes to expressing prices in Italian, it's crucial to understand the structure and use of the Euro currency. Here's a useful vocabulary for discussing prices:

• “Euro”: Euro

• “Centesimi”: Cents

• “Un euro”: One euro

• “Cinque euro e venti centesimi”: Five euros and twenty cents.

When stating a price, use the following pattern:

Number + Euro + Cents

• 3.50 euros: "Tre euro e cinquanta centesimi"

• 15 euros: "Quindici euro"

• 9.99 euros: "Nove euro e novantanove centesimi"

• 5.50 euros: “Cinque euro e cinquanta centesimi”

• 12.75 euros: “Dodici euro e settantacinque centesimi”

• 99.99 euros: “Novantanove euro e novantanove centesimi”

Here's an example of how to express prices:

• "The cost is 15 euros" can be translated as: "Costa 15 euro."

Breaking it down:

"Costa" means "it costs."

"15" represents the amount in euros.

"euro" is the currency used in Italy.

It's important to note that the word "euro" is typically used in its singular form, even when referring to multiple euros. However, when the number preceding "euro" is 1, "un euro" is used instead of "uno euro."

For example:

1 euro: un euro

1.50 euros: un euro e cinquanta centesimi

My tips😊

1. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Italian numbers and counting.

2. Practice these concepts as often as you can and soon, you’ll be confidently using them in your conversations.

I hope this guide has provided you with a solid foundation to explore numbers, dates, time, and prices in Italian. Happy learning!